Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will increase the income threshold for the student support grant to compensate for the negative impact of the Government's austerity programme which has left tax-paying parents in what heretofore would have been considered good jobs unable to afford to send their children to college; if she will further amend the student support grant scheme to allow parents with a gross income of approximately €70,000, but who are going through insolvency or bankruptcy and who are only allowed approximately €28,000 living expenses, to avail of the grant; her views on the children of such tax-paying parents being denied a college education as a result of the economic misfortune which has been imposed upon their parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25769/15]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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I wish to ask the Minister if she will increase the income threshold for the student support grant to compensate for the negative impact of the austerity programme over the past few years which has left tax-paying parents in what heretofore would have been considered good jobs unable to afford to send their children to school. Will she further amend the student support grant scheme to allow parents, including a teacher, with a gross income of approximately €70,000 but who are going through insolvency or bankruptcy and who are allowed only €28,000 in living expenses to avail of the grant? The parents' child is being denied a college place as a result of their misfortune. Could she make a statement on the matter?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the student grant scheme are announced annually as part of the budget. No changes to the rates or thresholds were included in budget 2015.

Student grant applications are means-tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The means test arrangements of the student grant scheme are applied nationally. The assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion that might arise from different spending decisions in different households.

In addition to joining the scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the student assistance fund. This fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Over the past few years, unprecedented circumstances have arisen because of what happened when the bubble burst or the economy crashed. People who were classed as having good jobs have gone through the misfortune of bankruptcy or insolvency. This is the reality. Living expenses of €28,000 are allowed. I know of a parent who cannot send a child to school. We are trying to help people with their mortgages and to get them out of the hardship they have gone through over the past few years. Must we keep kicking these families, who have gone through all of this and are trying to make a new life? It is not a child's fault if one of his or her parents got into trouble but it is the child who will suffer if we do not put something in place to address this problem, which has arisen in unprecedented circumstances, to help the children affected reach third level education. If we do not put something in place they will not reach it.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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What we must try to do with these kinds of schemes is be fair to everybody and apply the same rules to everybody. I recognise that there may be individual cases of families in hardship but the scheme is revised every year and we make slight changes to it every year. We did make some small changes this year. There are income disregards, including some specified social protection payments, HSE payments, benefits such as child benefit and family income supplement, foster carer allowance, the household benefit package and the water conservation grant, which we included this year. There are a number of exemptions but the difficulty with a national scheme is that there are individual cases in respect of which one could say a certain individual should really be getting a grant. However, we must apply the same kinds of rules in terms of income across the board.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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I know there are many different circumstances but the reality is that what is happening is being brought about because of what we have gone through as a country. Where it has been proven that a family has gone through the insolvency process, on foot of which a parent had to go insolvent, the children should not be let suffer. When the Minister is addressing this she should facilitate them.

This is not going to last forever. With luck, people will come through over the coming years. It will not be biting at the Minister every year. Each young student deserves a chance. The Minister should consider a support for the people who have been hit.

What happened to them was undesirable. Let us not put them in a situation where it is the children who suffer from it mainly. I urge the Minister to amend the grants system.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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All I can say is the scheme has been agreed for this year. We can always look at changes and do so every year. There is the question of whether somebody is actually declared insolvent as opposed to going through the process. I would really need to know the individual circumstances involved. Unfortunately, the scheme has been agreed for this year; therefore, we will not be making changes to it this year.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputies who tabled Questions Nos. 108 and 109 are not present.